Service and Fees for Ancestry research and Compilation of family biographical dictionary

Service and Fees for Ancestry research and Compilation of family biographical dictionary

We occasionally receive inquiries from people who appear to mistake us for a website selling ready-made genealogical data.

To be absolutely clear: No such database exists for Japanese ancestry research.

Regardless of which firm you engage, payment will never result in information being delivered instantly.

Field investigation — traveling to various locations and conducting research on the ground — is an INDISPENSABLE part of the process.

What we provide is precisely that kind of demanding, labor-intensive investigative work.

Those who approach this EXPECTING to PURCHASE INFORMATION as they would a product are kindly asked Not to INQUIRE.

Fees

The time and cost required to search for and discover documents, cemeteries, family temples, descendants of the main family, etc. varies widely, making it impossible to set a flat rate and completely impossible to estimate in advance.

Because every family’s history and information you provided is different, we use a staged payment system — so you can start with a defined first stage, review the findings, and decide how far you want to go. You are always in control of the scope and cost.

Basic fee system

① ¥15,000 per hour + actual costs such as transportation
↑25% discount campaign Now (20,000)
② Tiered system
③ Prepayment
④ Minimum initial payment: ¥400,000
(inclusive: labor, transportation, accommodation, document fees, and other expenses)

>About Detail Pricing Structure<<

Major Differences Between Western and Japanese Ancestry Research

Western and Japanese ancestry research are fundamentally different.

Japanese research in particular relies on very few databases, meaning that field investigation is essentially required, and the process takes time.

The only scenario in which Japanese research can be completed relatively quickly is the creation of a family tree within the scope of available koseki — and only when the registered domicile (honsekichi) is known, or when valid name and address information for Japanese relatives is available and the client or a Japanese relative is able to obtain the koseki(family register).

Koseki is essential for Japanese ancestry research.

If neither is available, locating ancestors or relatives requires field investigation, mail surveys, or similar methods — all of which are time-consuming. Mail surveys in particular involve waiting for responses, and if waiting is not an option, proceeding directly to field investigation becomes necessary — at considerably greater cost.

Are you perhaps accustomed to watching ancestry research television programs, where ancestors are tracked down instantly and without fail? Please set aside any such preconceptions.

There is no guarantee that your ancestors will be found, nor any guarantee that they will be found quickly.

Reference Fee

Below is an example of investigating one family lineage, but multiple family lines in the same region may be researched more cost-effectively.

After the Meiji period

Compilation of a family biographical dictionary, from the most recent family register to the oldest family register (or, for descendants, the person who will inherit the family ancestry and their spouse, etc.), and related research. Approximately 6-9 generations.

Reference Fee : Approximately 500,000 – 1,500,000 yen Per family or region

Edo Period and Earlier

Compilation of a family biographical dictionary for one family lineage from the previous generation of the oldest family register to the early Edo period, and related research. Approximately 1-8 generations in family register.

Reference Fee : Approximately (Included in Basic Fee) – 1,500,000 yen or more Per family or region

※While the figures above represent an estimate for a single family line, our firm — unlike others that strictly apply a fixed fee per family line — operates on a time-based fee plus actual expenses basis, allowing us to accommodate flexibly cases in which multiple family lines within the same region are identified.

※In the course of investigating the family register period, documents from the Edo period or earlier may be obtained. Since we use an hourly fee system, if such documents are discovered during the initial investigation, the cost may fall within your initial payment. Conversely, if extensive research is required to locate documents from the Edo period or earlier, additional costs of up to 1,500,000 yen or more may be necessary.

Relatives Search

As part of your ancestry research, we also search for your missing relatives in order to obtain registered domicile (honsekichi) information or koseki, or to gather information about your ancestors.

If the Registered Domicile is unknown, an investigation to find missing relatives is necessary.

Once found, you can ask for their cooperation in obtaining the Family Registers.

Please note that we do not act as a proxy to obtain certified copies (Koseki).
The client must apply for the necessary official documents themselves based on our report.

Please note that our firm does not exclusively conduct searches for living relatives; rather, we conduct such searches as part of broader ancestral research. Due to the extremely high awareness of privacy protection in Japan, positioning the work as ancestral research is necessary in order to obtain the cooperation of information providers such as temples. Locating specific living relatives is more difficult than standard ancestry research, because there is no available individual database in Japan.

Locating living relatives is accepted as a secondary component of ancestry research or family biographical dictionary compilation. We do not accept requests for locating living relatives as a standalone service.

When the prepaid amount falls below the accumulated fees and expenses, the investigation will be paused, and you will be asked to choose between authorizing additional payment or concluding the investigation.

↓Read this article↓
Japan’s personal information database situation – Genealogical Institute of Japan

Probate? → Service for foreign genealogists – Genealogical Institute of Japan

Notice

※　You can specify how thorough you want your investigation to be – the more thorough, the higher the fee.
※　The family lineages eligible for this service are not limited to your current surname. We accept direct lineages, such as paternal, maternal, or grandparental lines with different surnames. We accept requests and consent from any direct blood relative of the spouse, such as the spouse themselves, their legally competent children, or the spouse’s parents.
※　This service is primarily targeted at the client’s direct lineage. Collateral lines may not necessarily be subject to detailed investigation.
※　Outdoor investigations of more than 30 minutes are not possible in the summer. Winter on-site investigations in cold, snowy regions will be postponed until spring or autumn.
※　Travel time is a paid service in all industries, and investigations and considerations are conducted even while traveling on public transportation. While investigative thinking continues while driving yourself, albeit with limitations, there is an added risk of accidents. Therefore, to avoid complicating the fee structure, we apply the hourly fee listed above as a zero-sum system. There are no discounts or free travel time.

Family registers(koseki)

Family tree creation based solely on koseki is free of charge.

If you already possess koseki, family tree creation based solely on the koseki is free of charge.

※ Competitors’ fees are equivalent to 80,000-300,000 yen, but we are offering this free of charge to promote our paid services and to conduct genealogy research.

Advice on obtaining family registers

Free for advice on obtaining family registers.

The client must apply for a certified copy of the family register and a certified copy of the removal from the family register. We will give you advice on that.
The cost of obtaining copies of your family register will be borne by the client (750 yen per copy plus shipping and handling fees).
To obtain a family register, you need information about your ancestors’ registered domicile. This is not their address.

If you do not know their registered domicile, you will need to investigate and it’s not free.

※ We do not provide advice based on thorough research or online searches. A reasonable consultation fee will be charged if desired.

Warning: Beware of agencies conducting illegal proxy applications for koseki

Documents Required

As standard practice in the Japanese ancestry research industry, conducting investigations beyond online research, libraries, archives, holders of old documents, and the Legal Affairs Bureau requires the client’s identification documents, family relationship certificates connecting the client to their Japanese ancestors, and direct communication between the client and our company.
So please provide:

Without these documents, contacting temples or relatives is absolutely impossible, as doing so would inevitably lead to serious problems.

Cemetery surveys of public cemeteries may be possible without these documents.

Field Investigation Details

Field Investigation involves conducting land register and closed land registry investigations at the Legal Affairs Bureau, interviewing relatives, researching historical documents and administrative materials at archives, library materials, residential and cemetery investigations, and conducting other investigations of organizations and individuals necessary to corroborate the information obtained (e.g., local governments, courts, etc.), contacting holders of genealogies, and photographing ancestral places and objects.
We will contact relatives to research historical documents such as family trees, genealogies, and history books that they possess.

Compilation of family biographical dictionary

The Family Biographical Dictionary includes comprehensive information about each family and individual, such as:

Family-level information:
– Clan/family name, crest, origins, temples, graves, notable members, family tree, chronology, maps, and photos

Individual-level information:
– Names (including childhood names, pen names, etc.), dates and places of birth/death, biographical details, personality, occupation, education, family relationships, anecdotes, and photos

Additional specialized information may include:
– Haplogroup (DNA analysis), handprints/footprints, works, signatures, etc.

※　Depending on the source material and the interviewee’s memory, not all fields may be filled in.
※　Photos will be included where appropriate.
※　Elaboration (to create a moving story) and speculation/conjecture will be avoided, as they may lead to misunderstandings later. Only what is known will be stated matter-of-factly in the main text. However, hypotheses that cannot be verified may be included in the footnotes.
※　Please let us know if you have any requests for other fields.
※　Original surnames require male-line ancestry research. Original surnames refer to original surnames passed down through the male line, such as Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana. Despite common misconception, they are not inherited through family lines; they are inherited through the male line. Therefore, if there is an adopted son-in-law, the male line may be different from that of the adoptive parents. Therefore, to determine each ancestor’s original surname, it is necessary to trace the male line.

Example: The Shioya clan with the Minamoto family name becomes the Shioya clan after marrying Tomonari (the Utsunomiya clan of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan).

※　If your blood type is unknown, we will provide free testing instructions (you will be responsible for any costs incurred. It appears that blood type can be determined for free by donating blood).

Deliverables and Specifications

Interim Deliverables

The following items are provided at appropriate intervals during the investigation, including upon the completion of each stage.

1. Interim report
2. Copies of collected documents and images
3. Maps (where cemeteries, residential locations, or land ownership have been identified)
4. On-site photographs (where field investigation has been conducted)

Final Deliverables

The following items are delivered upon completion of the final investigation stage.

1. Manuscript data (word/pdf)
2. Collected photographic data(jpeg/png)
3. Photographic data from field surveys(jpeg/png)
4. (If available) Housing location map and floor plan data (pdf/jpeg/png)
5. Cemetery layout data (pdf/jpeg/png)
6. Collected materials that can be provided (including inquiry emails to institutions, experts, etc.)
7. Family tree data (Google Spread Sheet/Excel)
8. Map of related locations (Google My Maps)

*Binding is not included in this plan. Our institute does not provide or arrange for bookbinding.

Delivery method

Digital data is delivered via the cloud.
Physical items such as paper documents are sent by mail.

Delivery Timeline

Completion time varies significantly depending on research scope and complexity, document availability, travel distance, and current workload, etc.

Typical timeline ranges from several days to six months.

Progress reports will be provided at the completion of each research stage.

After-sales support

If new information is discovered by chance after delivery, we will notify you free of charge.

Options

1. Creation of image data for rare family crests (※１) ¥20,000
2. Pet dog and cat encyclopedia (※２) Quote required

※1 If you have a rare family crest and do not have image data, we can create it for you.
※2 The information included will be as similar as possible to a biographical encyclopedia, including name, birth and death dates, photos, family tree, personality, and anecdotes, but the source of information will be the family and pedigree. Pedigrees are not required.

Notes

Geographic Scope of Services

Our services are limited to research conducted within present-day Japan. We do not conduct research in former Japanese territories, including Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria, Sakhalin, or the South Sea Islands. If your ancestors lived in former Japanese territories or were foreign nationals, we can only investigate records that remain within present-day Japan (such as mainland koseki, temple records, and land records).

Important Terms and Payment Conditions

1. Non-Guarantee of Results The purpose of this contract is the “execution of investigation procedures towards a discovery of ancestry and the compilation of family biographical dictionary”, and does not guarantee that the subject and the information will be found or identified. Please understand that refunds will not be issued even if the subject and the information is not found.
The difficulty and feasibility of investigation, the amount of information available, and the time required to discover the information vary greatly depending on the condition and location of the documents and other materials.
Fees are neither performance-based compensation nor fixed-fee.
Therefore, we cannot guarantee that we will find everything for ¥XX million.

2. Full Advance Payment System To avoid non-payment risks, we require 100% advance payment for all fees.

3. Since it is impossible to predict the exact time required in advance.

4. Process of Investigation We will conduct the investigation until the prepaid amount (minus actual expenses such as government fees and postage) is exhausted. At that point, you can decide whether to make an additional payment to continue or to stop the investigation.

5. Policy on Early Discovery Even if the subject is found earlier than expected, the remaining balance will be applied to the costs of translating the obtained materials, compiling of family biographical dictionary, creating a family tree, or conducting further ancestral research.

Disclaimer

1. We do not assume any responsibility arising from the use of the family biographies, including interim reports, or other deliverables.

2. We assume no responsibility whatsoever for any disputes arising from the client’s actions. Furthermore, if such actions harm the Institute’s reputation or damage its credibility, the client may be held liable for damages.

3. We accept no liability whatsoever for any misunderstanding arising on the part of a client as a result of the client submitting our website, email or other correspondence, reports, or any other deliverables to an AI for analysis. We are under no obligation to provide such materials in a form that prevents misreading by AI. Clients and prospective inquirers may not make any demands against us based on the results of AI analysis of our website, email or other correspondence, reports, or any other deliverables.

Rejection of itemized cost breakdown and fixed-fee structure

Due to the nature of this work, providing a cost breakdown is structurally impossible.

Our fees are time-based, and the hours required cannot be predicted in advance as the investigation is fluid by nature. This is standard practice in the genealogical research industry — itemized breakdowns are not provided.

To understand why, consider what can happen once the lid is lifted. Survival of historical records: if the records of an ancestor’s village were destroyed by fire, war (such as aerial bombing during World War II), or natural disaster, it becomes necessary to find an alternative route — tracing evidence through records from neighboring villages or domain archives — which can dramatically change the scope of work involved. When seeking access to a temple’s death registers (kakochō), some head priests will share ancestry information willingly, while others may be guarded on privacy grounds, requiring multiple visits and negotiations. A flat refusal may be given on the spot, or we may be told that no records survive. Any of these outcomes is a genuine possibility, and there is no way to predict in advance which one we will encounter. No matter how skilled the specialist, predicting these variables in advance is simply impossible.

Accordingly, as the specifics are subject to change depending on how the investigation develops, presenting a breakdown in advance would effectively constitute a commitment to incur those specific costs — which is not the case. The contract covers the conduct of research aimed at discovering ancestors, not the guarantee of any particular expenditure. We are therefore unable to respond to requests for cost breakdowns.

If you are picturing ancestry research television programs, no doubt it appears that results are found almost instantly — but that is an illusion. Please recognize that there is a vast gap between the image you may have of ancestry research and the reality of how it is conducted in Japan.

Providing a cost breakdown in response to demands from inquirers who confuse our services with those of a catering company or a bespoke tailor is a harmful and pointless act: it creates momentary and false reassurance at the time of contracting, and reduces us to the position of fraudsters when reality diverges from the illusory figures provided. We are stating honestly that advance prediction of any breakdown is impossible.

Finally, on the question of fee structure itself: ancestry research is inherently unpredictable — and that is precisely why a fixed-fee structure will leave one party at a disadvantage. If an agency takes on a case at a flat rate, the more difficult the research becomes, the deeper into the red they go — creating every incentive to abandon the investigation midway or deliver fabricated results. This is the hallmark of a disreputable operator. Conversely, if documents are found far sooner than expected, the client ends up paying a premium for minimal work. Under a time-based fee structure, the researcher receives fair compensation even for arduous investigations, and is therefore able to pursue thorough, uncompromising academic research without cutting corners. Rather than offering the superficial reassurance of a flat fee with no guarantees whatsoever, we have chosen a fee system grounded in genuine fairness and integrity.

If we were to slack off and submit a report stating ‘nothing was found,’ you would certainly never authorize any additional payment. The only way for us to maximize our returns is to conduct thorough, exhaustive field investigation, produce a progress report of genuine value, and leave you thinking ‘I want them to keep digging.’ In other words, this fee structure has a built-in incentive to work diligently.

While a cost breakdown cannot be provided, we will, outline — based on the information you have supplied — where we intend to investigate and what form that investigation will take. This is less a plan than a preliminary assessment, and constitutes nothing more than an anticipated list of locations and research activities. It contains no indication whatsoever of how many hours will be spent at any given location, and please be fully aware that it is subject to change.

>About Detail Pricing Structure<<

Cancellations and Refunds

Cancellations and refunds are not possible.

By proceeding with payment, you irrevocably waive any and all rights to initiate chargebacks or payment disputes with payment processors, under any circumstances.

Our staged payment system is designed so that you only commit to one stage at a time. You pay a retainer in advance, from which hourly fees and actual expenses are deducted as the work proceeds. Fees cover the hours worked, expertise applied, and costs incurred — not a guaranteed outcome. As such, payments are non-refundable.

Copyright

Copyright and other intellectual property rights (including rights under Articles 27 and 28 of the Copyright Act) related to deliverables delivered by the Institute to a client shall remain the property of the Institute until the completion of the work, and shall be transferred and vested in the client upon completion of the work (excluding intellectual property rights held by the Institute prior to the commencement of the transaction (hereinafter referred to as “Reserved Intellectual Property Rights”). However, the Institute shall grant the client free use of the Reserved Intellectual Property Rights (including licensing to third parties) to the extent necessary for the use of the deliverables. Furthermore, if the client requests the Institute to make modifications to the deliverables after delivery, the client shall not claim copyright fees from the Institute for the modifications).

However, with regard to intellectual property rights held by a third party, if the Institute uses such rights in the deliverables with the third party’s permission, the relevant intellectual property rights shall remain the property of the third party and shall not be transferred or vested in the client.
Furthermore, the Institute will not exercise moral rights against the client in relation to the results of the project (however, the right to be credited as the original author (i.e., to be credited as the researcher, editor, and author at the end of the book, etc.) will be reserved). If a separate agreement is made within the transaction, that agreement will take precedence.

Provision or disclosure to a third party

If you wish to provide or disclose the research results or family biographical dictionary to third parties, please obtain prior consent from material holders, information providers, and individuals whose information is included.

Legal Clarification:
It is true that Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act imposes obligations on businesses, not on individual clients. Additionally, the Act only protects information listed by law about living individuals, so information about deceased ancestors is not subject to protection. Privacy law also does not protect mere information about someone, and deceased persons have no privacy rights. Therefore, information such as posthumous Buddhist names or death dates of deceased ancestors is not considered private information. Furthermore, ownership rights do not extend to the information contained in materials, and the copyright protection period for historical documents has expired.

Practical Considerations:
However, even in the absence of legal restrictions, providing or disclosing information without the consent of living related parties may lead to practical disputes (emotional conflicts). Please obtain consent from relevant parties to prevent such issues.

Rejection of introductions to or references from existing clients

We do not provide introductions to or references from existing clients, out of respect for their privacy and to avoid being intrusive to them.

While requesting client references may be a common practice in some countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, this practice is not universal. No such custom exists among professional service providers in Japan and many other countries, and clients in such countries would not expect to be contacted for such purposes without prior consent. Furthermore, no such practice exists among Japanese genealogy firms.

References are virtually nonexistent across industries in Japan. The only sectors where they are said to exist as an exception are the mid-career and executive recruitment market involving foreign-affiliated firms, and B2B enterprise IT and SaaS implementation.
For inquirers from the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries where reference culture is established, the absence of such a system may seem inconceivable — yet, conversely, for someone like myself from a country where no such culture exists, I find it equally difficult to understand why it would be considered acceptable to impose that burden on a third party.
That said, the governing law of this service is Japanese law, and this is not a service designed exclusively for persons from English-speaking or other reference-culture countries. Inquirers are accordingly required to conduct themselves in accordance with Japanese business practices. So, clients and prospective inquirers have no right to request that we provide introductions to or references from existing clients.

Cases Referred by Overseas Genealogists

When an overseas genealogist refers a case to us and requests that we contact temples or relatives on the client’s behalf, direct communication between the client and our company is required, along with the following documents from the client:

• The client’s identification documents
• Family relationship certificates connecting the client to their Japanese ancestors

Without these, contacting temples or relatives is absolutely impossible, as doing so would inevitably lead to serious problems.

Cemetery surveys of public cemeteries may be possible without these documents.

Please note that without direct communication with the client and the required documents, we do not conduct any investigations beyond online research, libraries, archives, and the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

As the debtor’s country of residence and the place of performance of obligations are both Japan, the following shall apply.

1. Governing Law: Japanese law exclusively applies.
2. Exclusive Jurisdiction: Utsunomiya District Court, Japan.
3. Business Customs: Japanese business customs apply. International business customs (including but not limited to provision of work samples, references, or contingency fee arrangements) are not applicable unless explicitly agreed in writing.
4. No Waiver: By engaging our services, the Client waives any right to bring proceedings in any other jurisdiction.

Application / Quotes / Contact Us

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

When making an inquiry, please send us all the information you have, including images of your family relationship certificate.

Terms and Conditions for Ancestry Research and Family Biographical Dictionary Compilation Services 

Please read the Terms and Conditions above in full and confirm their contents before making an inquiry. Please make an inquiry only if you agree to the Terms. By making an inquiry, you will be deemed to have consented to the provisions of the Terms governing inquiries.

Use this form for an inquiry